5 Minutes with… Ian Grody
Ian Grody's CV is testament to the entertainment-forward work of Giant Spoon.
Prior to joining the agency in 2018, Ian not only spent time leading the content division at agency Kettle and writing ads for indie film distributors and start-ups, he also wrote television shows for networks like MTV, SyFy and CMT. He is also, in his words, “oddly well-versed in New York deli culture".
LBB's Addison Capper chats with Ian to find out what it takes to creatively lead Fast Company's number one advertising agency in its 2023 Top 50 Most Innovative Companies. They ponder the bastardisation of the term 'story' in advertising, how AI helps him think differently, and his go-to deli order.
LBB> You've written shows for networks like MTV, SyFy, and CMT, and published a graphic novel. How does all of that help you when it comes to telling stories for your clients?
Ian> Story might be the most bastardised term in advertising. It’s almost, if not completely, devoid of meaning. As an exercise, ask your average creative to define it. See what they say. My experience has taught me that story is what happens through the lens of character. Not how it happens; that’s plot. Not how it’s told; that’s literary execution. Just a personalised version of what unfolds. When you speak it, succinctly enough, and search your feelings, you’ll know if it’s good or bad. And you build on that.
LBB> With that in mind, how would you describe the type of work that Giant Spoon does in 2024? And what kind of space do you operate within the ad agency landscape?
Ian> We know how to make people root for brands - through exhibitions of creative courage. That courage comes by way of breakthrough form factors - transporting you to The Upside Down from Netflix’s Stranger Things via a portal on the Empire State Building. And it comes by way of breakthrough campaigns with traditional formats. Take our integrated work for Ritual, ‘Trace Like a Motherf*cker’. There was boldness not just in our language but the way we delivered a dimensional take on our main character – a mom who’s equal parts ‘go hard’ and ‘love hard.’ The behavioural code-switching you see in that spot isn’t something you see in most ads.
LBB> You wrote about AI in July of last year, when you said you "do believe AI can help us become more original". Have your thoughts evolved since then? If so, how? If not, why?
Ian> I still believe AI can empower us. These are tools. Powerful tools. Sora, in particular, wows me. But AI doesn’t build answers. It inspires thought streams and tackles minutia. Unless you’re mistaken in how to apply it.
LBB> Practically speaking, how are you utilising generative AI within the creative department at Giant Spoon?
Ian> We use AI responsibly and in an open way with our clients. As temp VO for a spot before we share it out. To assemble fast and dirty boards. To help realise a complicated comp. We’ve even built audience AIs to feedback on our approaches; we’re discerning about what we take to heart. Mind you, none of it folds into our final outputs, but it does help us think differently and move at a clip.
LBB> What's a recent piece of work that you feel is a great representation of the type of work Giant Spoon excels at right now?
Ian> When the walls between departments fall down, and we make stuff at the intersection of creativity and media – that’s when we’re at our best. Helping GE spin out, for instance. Strategy uncovered that GE had powered the first night game in 1935 – on baseball’s opening day. Our media team made a bold, short-term buy on and around opening day, and our creatives built a 60-second film that brought you back to that epic night, in anticipation of GE Aerospace and GE Vernova’s opening day on the New York Stock Exchange.
LBB> How do you think agencies can best facilitate creativity in terms of culture and design? And how do you live by that in your role at Giant Spoon?
Ian> Make courage your greatest virtue and cowardice your cardinal sin. Then prove it through the work.
LBB> Where did you grow up and what early experiences do you think sowed the seeds of your creativity?
Ian> I grew up on Long Island. Where my mom really pushed me. She’d read my short stories back in sixth grade, and wake me up at 5am, saying, “It’s good, Ian, but it can be better – you have a few hours before school. Let’s go, you can do it.” Which is definitely intense. But my drive and that high bar… it comes from seeing pushes pay off.
LBB> When it comes to creative ‘stuff’ that you enjoy, do you like things that are similar to the work you do, or do you enjoy exploring?
Ian> I might reverse the paradigm. The work I do is a mirror of what I consume culturally. New plays, old movies, comic books, comedy shows. Those form factors, those styles become inputs for me. And because that’s the case, I try to mix it up – and be more omnivorous.
LBB> On your website, it says that you are "oddly well-versed in New York deli culture.” What's your go-to order?
Ian> Pastrami with coleslaw on rye, Dr. Brown’s Black Cherry. If I’m feeling gluttonous (I usually am) I’ll fuck with a knish on a side. I will say, however, if you’re going to just-knish, Yonah Schimmel on the Lower East Side is the truth. The warm blueberry and cheese option? Lights out.
LBB> When you're not scoffing delicious deli food, what keeps you occupied and content outside of work?
Ian> My family is everything. My nine-year-old son puts me onto mid-century composers like Percy Faith and art house movies like Ashes and Diamonds. My six-year-old daughter is a lion who makes everything look easy – piano, capoeira, making friends. And my wife is the funniest person I’ve ever met, her talent for landscape design is pretty inspiring. They’re it.
